


Relapse.

by OddlyBookish



Series: The Aaron/Neil Brotp [4]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Neil and Aaron are friends, the brotp we need
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-14 20:21:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18059417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OddlyBookish/pseuds/OddlyBookish
Summary: Andrew flirts, Neil doesn't notice and Aaron relapses.





	Relapse.

**Author's Note:**

> So if you read the Summary you know that Aaron relapses in this chapter, so there are vague mentions of drug use. Recovery is never a straight line kids and I doubt being a college student with past drug abuse history is easy so this came to be because of that. Let me know how you like it.

"Hey drug dealer." Neil flinched slightly when the heavy textbook was dropped on to the table across from him and looked up with an annoyed sigh.

"Once again, I am not a drug dealer, now will you please stop saying that? I can get suspended if word gets around." Neil states as he looks around quickly relieved that the only person in hearing range had a pair of headphones in.

"I don't like that word, don't use it. You really need to learn how to lie Junkie, I have no clue how you haven't been caught." Andrew states as he raises one and then another finger. Neil raises a brow at his best friends brother but doesn't get a chance to ask him the word he referred to before Aaron was pulling out the chair to his left.

"Andrew fancy seeing you here." He greets with a pointed look at his twin who's lips pull up slightly when he spots the irritation on Aaron's face before Aaron's shoving a paper towards the redhead and sliding his phone over.

"Here, quickly, the stupid paper is due today."

"Well if you would've shown up on time..." Neil smiles as Aaron shoves his shoulder before concentrating on forging the signature at the bottom of the page.

Aaron glances up at his brother, a bit shocked that he was still sitting with them despite his botched opportunity to try and get into his friends pants. Andrew watched Neil curiously, eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Neil copy the signature from the picture on Aaron's phone on to the document laying in front of him.

Aaron had found his brother trying to make conversation with Neil multiple times in the last few weeks, which was saying a lot considering December had just begun and Andrew had only met Neil the second week of November.

Kevin, however, had avoided Neil like the plague. Aaron was yet to question him on that.

Neil hands the paper over to Aaron as Andrew leaned over the table and smirked.

"Forgery? Any other tricks up your sleeve Junkie?" Aaron glares while Neil raises a brow and crosses his arms over the table, opening his mouth to no doubt saying something smart back.

"Nope, not doing this, come on Neil I have to drop this off." Aaron states quickly as he grabs Neil's arm and pulls him up. Andrew's face loses all traces of humor, the dark look he sends his brother is enough for Aaron to pull Neil away quickly.

"Bye Andrew!" Aaron shouts as he drags Neil away, who luckily hadn't caught Andrew's suggestive innuendo.

Aaron and Neil end up at Neil's apartment after dropping off the paper Aaron needed to submit. Katelyn was out of town, so when Aaron wasn't in his dorm with Kevin and his brother, he was with Neil.

Neil who had spent the last few weeks trying to perfect his baking abilities and had a shit ton of cookies piled up everywhere.

"Diabetes is a bitch Neil." Aaron reminds his friend who had pulled out another tray of cookies from the oven. Neil glances his way and shrugs.

"I can drop them at the homeless shelter later." Neil states as he places the tray on the range.

"Or you can take some? Like I keep saying." Neil suggests. Aaron sighs, he had ignored his friend when he asked the first few times, mainly because he knew Kevin would bitch about the unhealthiness but also because he knew Andrew would be even more intrigued if he found out Neil knew how to bake of all things.

"Fine, I'll take some." Neil places a plate of an arrangement of cookies on the coffee table in front of them with two mugs of coffee and sits down next to him. Aaron plays the movie once Neil settles, Katelyn had insisted they start showing Neil all the Disney movies he had missed, they were currently on Toy Story.

Neil, however, didn't stay awake for much longer. He nodded off about halfway through the movie, soon slumping against Aaron. Neil had been sleep deprived in the last few weeks, Aaron had noticed the bags under his eyes and the extra coffee he had been drinking, but Neil was adamant that he was fine. Aaron didn't quite know how to help.

So he stayed as still as possible while Neil finally got some sleep, growing bored with the lack of comments Neil usually made during any movie and soon found himself falling asleep as well. His phone vibrating loudly against the coffee table woke him up hours later, once the sun had set and TV had shut off after hours of being unattended.

"Hello?" 

"Andrew's nonverbal again." Kevin states simply. Aaron curses softly and sits up, Neil grumbles but simply shifts to lay his head on his arm.

"On my way."

"Take the cookies." Neil grumbles.

"Yeah, yeah, got it." Neil seems to drift off as Aaron takes the plastic container that Neil had packed before leaving, making sure the door was locked behind him.

Andrew was sitting silently on his dorm bed, staring off at the wall across from him. Aaron calls his name but gets no response, not even a glance his way. Aaron moves his way, sitting down slowly across from his brother on the other side of the bed, the plastic container of cookies sitting in between the two.

Aaron talks, because he knows that sometimes it can snap his brother out of his nonverbal phase. Years of dealing with his brother and his manic depressive episodes taught him that sometimes he couldn't do too much to help, especially with Andrew's reactions to touch. So Aaron talks, at first about his girlfriend before shifting to his friend once he notices that Andrew's head had shifted slightly when he first heard Neil's name.

Aaron pushed that bit of information to the back of his mind and kept talking. Andrew was still silent but he had turned his gaze towards his brother instead of the wall across from him. Aaron counts it as progress and keeps talking about Neil until Andrew blinks and reaches for the container in between them.

He pops the lid off and reaches for a cookie, breaking it apart ignoring all the crumbs that drop into his lap as he eats the cookies.

"He's good." Andrew states lamely as if nothing had been wrong, and then stands up and heads back into the living room with the container of cookies secured safely in his arms.

Aaron drags Neil off to a party that weekend, Neil isn't happy about it. Aaron doesn't seem to care, his girlfriend was still gone and he wanted to go to a party after a tough semester of classes.

"I hate you." Neil mutters darkly as someone else runs into him, causing his cup of soda to sloosh over, almost landing on his very clean white shirt.

Aaron rolls his eyes and continues to drink while Neil curses the day he ever met Aaron Minyard. The party was way too crowded, too loud, too warm due to all the bodies and Neil just wanted to sleep Goddamnit but Aaron had insisted, and Neil was a good friend.

Aaron refilled his cup and turns towards his friend.

"We can head outback if you want." Neil nods and quickly moves, Aaron following behind.

Neil and Aaron stand by the fire pit, drinking silently, the music from inside loud enough to be heard from where they stood. Neil recognized a good amount of people from his classes, saw his old dorm mates across the yard with a group of upperclassmen.

Aaron was drinking steadily, Neil wondered how he had such a high tolerance for a guy his stature. Aaron finished off his drink and pointed towards the house.

"I'm going to refill, want some?" Neil shakes his head causing Aaron to nod and walk away. Neil is left alone, he takes small sips of his soda as the minutes pass until ten minutes pass by. Neil frowns, glances at his phone to double check the time and then heads inside to look for his friend.

He doesn't see his friend by the drinks, he turns around and looks at the crowd, keeping his eyes peeled for the short blond. He tries not to panic as he looks for his friend but he can't find Aaron and it causes his stomach to drop. His thoughts instantly on his father and the associates who were somehow out on patrol.

He's opening door after door of the large frat house, trying to find Aaron, doubting his friend would leave him alone in a party he didn't want to attend. His relief at finding Aaron goes away rather quickly when he spots his friend in the last room, eyes red with a fresh needle mark in the crock of his elbow.

He curses as he rushes over, having learned about Aaron's past drug abuse during one of their many nights of staying up late and getting to know one another. Aaron squints at him and then smiles brightly.

"Neil!" He shouts throwing his arms out towards Neil.

Neil's mind races as his friend struggles to stand up, but he quickly helps Aaron steady when he starts to fall over, groaning slightly at the sudden weight Aaron was putting on him.

"Jesus Aaron, what have you done?" Neil asks as Aaron chuckles and drops his head on Neil's chest.

"I need a drink." Aaron mutters and steps back, stumbling as he tries to reach the door. Neil quickly blocks him off and almost regrets his next words.

"Hand me your phone." He orders his friend who in his drugged haze does as told. Neil puts in his passcode and guides Aaron down on to the floor in an attempt to keep him from falling on his ass. He pulls up contacts and places a call to the first number on the list, watching Aaron cautiously as the phone rang.

"Aaron."

"It's Neil."

"Ahh, the drug dealer, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Neil closes his eyes briefly, regretting every allowing Aaron to drag him to a party before speaking.

"Aaron shot something up, he's pretty out of it, I don't think I can drag him home by myself." The line is quiet for a second too long before Andrew lets out a breath.

"Where?" His voice clipped and tone dark.

"Party at the Gamma Beta House, second floor, last door on the right." 

"Stay put." The line goes dead before Neil can respond causing him to shot Aaron a glare.

"Great job Aaron, you just got me killed." Aaron blinks at him then laughs. Neil sighs and bends down to look Aaron in the eye. His pupils are too small and bloodshot, and he has trouble focusing on Neil who's directly in front of him.

A sudden guilt courses through Neil as he watches his friend, the one person who was always there for him spiral down a slippery slope. Neil knew of Aaron's past yet he hadn't watched him better, hadn't caught on to the fact that Aaron was craving drugs once again. He was once again too caught up on himself that he had failed to keep someone he cared about safe.

The door slams open a few minutes later causing Neil to jump off the floor and stand in front of Aaron protectively. He swallows the knot in his throat at the sight of Andrew, fist clenched and face hard as he glared at Neil and took in the crumpled sight of his twin brother, Kevin stood a few feet behind him.

"I should have known you were no good." Andrew snaps, he shoves Neil back and Neil's too stunned to catch himself as he hits the floor. Neil doesn't move as Andrew steps forward, tugging Aaron up in one move that Neil wouldn't have been able to pull off.

"If I ever see you again, I'll beat your face in." Andrew states as he moves to leave. Kevin glances at Neil once, visibly swallows and then joins Andrew in holding Aaron up. Neil watches helplessly as they disappear, feeling cold and empty as the minutes' tick by.

He eventually stands and leaves the room, pushing past party goers and starting the walk to his apartment, sending Katelyn a message to let her know what had happened before turning off his phone.

He crawls into bed in his party clothes and pulls the covers up to his neck, wanting to sleep the day away. Nightmares plague his dreams, his mothers' death on replay until she's replaced with Aaron and all Neil can picture is Aaron unmoving body because Neil couldn't save him.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, no Andrew/Neil yet (it's coming soon... maybe; I write as I go.  
> Let me know if you guys like this part and how you guys like the series.  
> Also, this may not be very accurate. I go nonverbal like this sometimes, where I just don't talk and sit there totally zoned out for a good half an hour so this is more based on my experience than any sort of research.


End file.
